Slurry agitator

ABSTRACT

A slurry agitator includes a slurry container and an upwardly extending passageway. The passageway interconnects an opening at the bottom of the container and an open top positioned over the container. Slurry is continuously circulated through the passageway by a vane pump mounted in the passageway. The pump is driven by a motor mounted over the container. The motor is coupled to the pump by a shaft that extends through the opening. The position of the container is micrometer adjustable to control the position of slurry flowing out of the top of the passageway.

United States Patent 1151 3,638,919 Phipps Feb. 1, 1972 [54] SLURRY AGITATOR 2,611,335 9/1952 Dilts ..118/421 X [72] inventor: Larry Phipps, Richardson, Tex 3,109,751 11/1963 Audet et al. ..l18/429 X [73] Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, Primary Examiner-Walter A. Scheel Tex. Assistant Examiner-Philip R. Coe Att0rneyJames 0. Dixon Andrew M. l-lassell, Harold F d. [22] Aug 1969 Levine, Melvin Sharp, John E. Vandigriff, Henry T. Olsen. [21] Appl. No.: 850,874 Michael A. Sileo,Jr. and Gary C. Honeycutt 52 us. 01 ..2s9/9s, 118/421 [57] ABSTRACT [51] Bit. Cl. .3011 5/12 A l r a itat i l des a sl rry container and an upwardly [58] Field of Search ..259/95, 96, 97, 98; 118/421, extending passageway. The passageway interconnects an I 18/429 opening at the bottom of the container and an open top positioned over the container. Slurry is continuously circulated [56] References C'ted through the passageway by a vane pump mounted in the UNITED STATES PATENTS passageway. The pump is driven by a motor mounted over the contamer. The motor is coupled to the pump by a shaft that l,277,750 1918 extends through the opening. The position of the container is 2,390,579 1945 micrometer adjustable to control the position of slurry flowing 3,244 10/ l 929 out of the top of the passageway. 2,127,413 8/1938 2,588,973 3/1952 Fitch et a1. ..118/429 X 2 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure I I IFEI'H' INVENTOR:

LARRY K. PH/PPS Integrated circuits and similar components are typically mounted in housing or packages and include leads that extend out of the packages. During the manufacture of such components, it is necessary to form a seal around the leads. In accordance with one lead sealing process, a slurry comprised of ground glass suspended in deionized, distilled water is poured around the leads. Subsequently, the water is evaporated and the glass is fused to form a seal.

During the operation of a slurry-type sealing system, the slurry must be continuously agitated in order to prevent the glass in the slurry from settling. Also, it is necessary to maintain the slurry at a uniform level in order to assure the pouring of the same amount of slurry around the leads of each component. Heretofore, these functions have been performed by a slurry agitator including an Archimedes screw operating in a slurry reservoir. Such a slurry agitator does not perform satisfactorily because the slurry level varies with each turn of the screw, because the slurry level is highly responsive to the amount of slurry in the reservoir and because the slurry is not sufficiently agitated to maintain a uniform glass suspension.

This invention relates to a slurry agitator in which slurry is continuously forced from a slurry container through an upwardly extending passageway the top of which constitutes a work station. The slurry flows out of the top of the passageway into the container. This maintains a constant slurry level regardless of the amount of slurry in the container and achieves sufficient agitation to maintain the glass uniformly suspended throughout the slurry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, a slurry agitator includes an upwardly extending passageway having an open top. Slurry is forced from a slurry container through the passageway and out the open top. Preferably, the passageway is arranged to direct slurry flowing from the open top back into the container.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A more complete understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawing which comprises a partial longitudinal sectional view of a slurry agitator employing the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION ported on the column 14 by a pair of guide members 18. A

micrometer 20 is connected between the lower guide member 18 and the base 12 for use in adjusting the position of the container 16 relative to the base.

The slurry agitator further includes an upwardly extending passageway 22. The passageway 22 is defined by a wall 24 positioned within the container 16 and extending along the bottom and up one side thereof. The passageway 22 interconnects a hole 28 formed through the wall 24 at the bottom of the container 16 and an open top 30 positioned adjacent the top of the container 16.

A vane pump 32 is positioned in the lower end of the passageway 22. The pump 32 is continuously rotated by an electric motor 34. The motor 34 is secured to an extension 36 of the container 16 and is connected to the pump 32 by a shaft 38 which extends through the hole 28 in the wall 24.

As the pump 32 is rotated by the motor 34, slurry from the container 16 is continuously forced through the hole 28in the wall 24 and into the passageway 22. The slurry flows through the passageway 22 and out the open top 30 therefore, whereupon it falls into the container 16. This action agitates the slurry sufiiciently to maintain the ground glass of the slurry uniformly suspended throughout the entire slurry volume. The slurry agitator 10 also maintains a uniform slurry level because, regardless of the amount of slurry in the container 16, slurry continuously flows out the open top 30 of the passageway 22. Thus, so long as the pump 32 is rotated, slurry is always present at the upper edge of the wall 24.

In the use of the slurry agitator 10, a plurality of nibs (not shown) are rotated into the open top 30 of the passageway 22 to receive slurry. By adjusting the micrometer 20, the distance that each nib at the work station travels into the open top 30 may be controlled. This in turn controls the amount of slurry that is received by each nib from the slurry agitator 10.

Although only one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing and described herein, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment disclosed but is capable of rearrangement, modification and substitution of parts and elements without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A slurry agitator system comprising:

a. a container having at least one sloping side and a passageway extending upward and along said sloping side, said passageway terminating below the top of said sloping side;

b. a support for said container including a micrometer for vertically adjusting the container, and thus the upper end of said passageway, with respect to a work station; and

c. pumping means for circulating a slurry such that said slurry flows out of the lower portion of said container, up said passageway, spills over the upper end of said passageway and pours back into said container, thereby agitating said slurry to assure said slurry is maintained at a uniform mixture.

2. A slurry agitator system comprising:

a. a container having at least one sloping side, a flat bottom portion, and a passageway extending along said flat bottom portion upward and along said sloping side, said passageway terminating below the top edge of said sloping side; i

b. a support for said container including a micrometer for vertically positioning the container, and thus the upper end of said passageway, with respect to a work station; and 1 c. a pump positioned in said passageway and adjacent said flat bottom portion and pump-driving means coupled to said pump whereby a slurry can be pumped from the lower portion of said container, through said passageway and back into the top portion of said container thereby agitating said slurry such that the mixture of said slurry is maintained substantially constant. 

1. A slurry agitator system comprising: a. a container having at least one sloping side and a passageway extending upward and along said sloping side, said passageway terminating below the top of said sloping side; b. a support for said container including a micrometer for vertically adjusting the container, and thus the upper end of said passageway, with respect to a work station; and c. pumping means for circulating a slurry such that said slurry flows out of the lower portion of said container, up said passageway, spills over the upper end of said passageway and pours back into said container, thereby agitating said slurry to assure said slurry is maintained at a uniform mixture.
 2. A slurry agitator system comprising: a. a container having at least one sloping side, a flat bottom portion, and a passageway extending along said flat bottom portion upward and along said sloping side, said passageway terminating below the top edge of said sloping side; b. a support for said container including a micrometer for vertically positioning the container, and thus the upper end of said passageway, with respect to a work station; and c. a pump positioned in said passageway and adjacent said flat bottom portion and pump-driving means coupled to said pump whereby a slurry can be pumped from the lower portion of said container, tHrough said passageway and back into the top portion of said container thereby agitating said slurry such that the mixture of said slurry is maintained substantially constant. 